Jose Trevino fostering relationships with young Yankees pitchers

TAMPA — As Gerrit Cole took the mound for his first (and only) Grapefruit League start on March 1, class was in session inside the Yankees’ dugout.

Jose Trevino, at the time still working his way back from a calf strain, was saddled up on the dugout railing next to Will Warren, Clayton Beeter and Chase Hampton, three of the Yankees’ top pitching prospects.

The veteran catcher was giving the young trio some insight on the way Cole prepares for a start and then talking through different situations that came up throughout the reigning AL Cy Young winner’s outing.

Trevino, who has earned Cole’s trust and admiration through catching him during the past two seasons, also wanted to know what Warren, Beeter and Hampton would throw in certain counts while offering some advice on reading hitters’ swings.

“We’re all planning on being here at the end of all this, so having a guy like Trevy — he’s a Platinum Glove catcher — so having him, picking his brain and him giving us information, he’s been around for a long time,” Warren said a few days later. “Just any way to get more knowledgeable about the game is always a good thing.”

Trevino has been intentional in beginning to build that connection with the Yankees’ young pitchers this spring. It stands to help them in their development as pitchers but also get a head start on the relationships that will be important for whenever they arrive in The Bronx — which could be sooner than later, especially in the case of Warren, who has a strong chance to break camp as the team’s fifth starter with Cole injured.